RANICEPS. 211 



color is smoky, spotted with faint yellow dots, be- 

 side broad cloudy spots extending from the sides 

 quite into the dorsal fins. With the fishermen 

 north of the Cape, this is called the mutton-fish. 

 In Germany the same fish is called mother of eels. 

 Though snake-like and disgusting to the eye, it is 

 said to be excellent eating. 



No doubt, varieties of the blenny may yet be 

 found on this sea-board, of which we have at pres- 

 ent no particular knowledge. We cannot always 

 rely upon the descriptions of the fishermen, who 

 in their anxiety to preserve the specimens designa- 

 ted on the catalogues they are furnished with by 

 us, are too apt to imagine that they unfortunately 

 lost the very fish that was most wanted. " The 

 very one, in fact, mentioned on the list." The 

 bay of New York furnishes two varieties of the 

 blenny unknown in Massachusetts, viz : — Blen- 

 nius Pholis, and B. Ciliatus. 



JRaniceps Blennioides. We have been present- 

 ed with a cream-colored fish truly disgusting in 

 appearance, which appears, with the exception of 

 the color, to be the blenny in miniature. To 

 some boys who accidentally captured it in the 

 outer basin of Boston harbor at low tide, it seemed 

 to be known as the garter-fish, — rather from its 



